IN one of the most fascinating MVP races in recent years, the battle to be named the NBA’s best player of 2019-20 pits rising stars against wily veterans, relentless scorers against dazzling creators, and the most established names in the game against surging up-and-comers.

Here are the five top contenders for this year’s award.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

The reigning MVP is the overwhelming favourite to retain his crown this season, and with good reason. Antetokounmpo’s outrageous athleticism is matched only by his ambition and desire to improve. This season has seen the 7’0” Bucks power forward add a serviceable three-point shot to his game, taking aim from beyond the arc 4.7 times per game.

The addition of a credible threat from range means defenders can no longer relax for a second when the 25-year-old Greek has the ball in his hands – hang off him to limit his space in behind and he’ll shoot a three; rush out to challenge his shot and he’ll drive straight past you and whoever else you bring.

The league’s second-highest scorer this term, averaging 29.7 points per game despite only playing an average of 30.9 minutes each night, Antetokounmpo is the driving force, focal point and star attraction of the best team in the league. At this stage, the MVP award is his to lose.

MVP odds: 11/50
 

LeBron James – LA Lakers

By the end of last season, it felt as though it was time for James to look around the NBA and find the next superstar to pass the torch to. The 55 starts he made in an injury-interrupted campaign were the fewest of his career and he missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Turning 35 midway through 2019-20, it was difficult to envisage him getting back to anything approaching his best.

However, reports of James’ demise, it has since transpired, had been greatly exaggerated. The summer addition of Anthony Davis has given James, at this late juncture of his career, one of his best-ever partners. And the pair have hit it off instantly to form the most devastating pick-and-roll duo in the league, with James averaging an NBA-best 10.6 assists as he turns provider for Davis, while still putting up 25.5 points per game himself.

In recent games, James has found himself in direct opposition with Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson, two of the hottest rising stars in the game. King James relished the opportunity to remind everyone who still wears the crown in the NBA, scoring a clutch, game-winning shot against Tatum’s Boston Celtics and putting up 40 points as Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans were dispatched.

James still carries the torch, and he is lighting up the league with it.

MVP odds: 9/1
 

Zion and @kingjames put on a show in their first ever matchup pic.twitter.com/JlpWHF8F4J

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 26, 2020

James Harden – Houston Rockets

The 2018 MVP isn’t to everyone’s taste. Some purists are put off by his metrics-driven, volume-shooting approach and his uncanny knack for getting to the free-throw line. Like it or not, though, Harden’s style is almost impossible to defend against and has to be respected.

Despite cooling off slightly since the turn of the year, the Houston Rockets guard is the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 35.3 points per game. A mesmerising dribbler with a handful of unstoppable moves in his locker and the range to bank from anywhere past half court, when Harden gets hot, he can put up 50 or 60 points without breaking sweat.

And the Rockets, adopting a fascinating small-ball approach which often sees the 6’5” Harden their tallest player, have managed to find a way to get the best out of The Beard and summer signing Russell Westbrook of late. An NBA title continues to elude Harden but a second MVP award should surprise no one given the strength of his numbers.

MVP odds: 12/1
 

Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks

The reigning Rookie of the Year has launched himself into the MVP conversation this season with his breath-taking displays for the Dallas Mavericks. The 20-year-old Slovenian, formerly of Real Madrid, already carries the confident swagger of an NBA veteran, despite only being in his second season in the league.

No one – not even James – can match Doncic’s triple-double tally this season, and the thrillingly creative point guard is averaging an incredible 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game for the Mavs. This year’s award will likely belong to someone else, but Doncic is a sure-fire MVP of the future, destined to contest pre-eminence with Zion Williamson over the next decade.

MVP odds: 9/1
 

Anthony Davis – LA Lakers

The fact that Davis, in his first season with the Lakers following a blockbuster summer trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, is among the leading contenders to be named Defensive Player of Year while also averaging 26.7 points per game is testament to the wholeness of his game.

If the 26-year-old is one of James’ greatest-ever team-mates, Davis is certainly benefitting from playing alongside one of the game’s greats after years of being the big fish in a shallow New Orleans talent pool. Davis’ dependable finishing at the rim, skill in the post and all-round defensive game are major reasons why the Lakers sit comfortable on top of the West.

MVP odds: 50/1